Last route out of Sievierodonetsk falls as Russian artillery pounds city

Sievierodonetsk at the epicentre of Donbas battle; Russian troops control most of city, says regional governor; hundreds of civilians shelter in chemical plant

Russian forces tightened their grip on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and cut off the last routes for evacuating citizens, a Ukrainian official said on Monday - a scene that echoed Moscow's assault on Mariupol last month.

Amid heavy Russian bombardment, regional governor Sergei Gaidai said on social media that all bridges out of the city had been destroyed, making it impossible to bring in humanitarian cargoes or evacuate citizens.

He said some "access" remained and part of the city was still under Ukrainian control.

"They have the ability to send the wounded to hospitals, so there is still access," he told